eHealth in the European Commission

Nine Directorates-General (DGs) at the European Commission are involved in implementing the eHealth action plan.

The Information Society and Media DG (INFSO) is the general coordinator of the action plan and performs a range of specific activities: promoting interoperability and integration, collating good practice, organising conferences and special events and managing relevant EU-funded projects.
The Health and Consumer Protection DG (SANCO) is responsible for the public health policy. SANCO is involved in organising the eHealth conferences, managing the Commission’s health portal and defining the legal framework for patient mobility.
The Enterprise and Industry DG (ENTR) is closely involved in issues relating to interoperability, integration, and standardisation. It is also coordinating the Lead Market Initiative, for which eHealth has been selected as one of the markets.
The Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG (EMPL) leads efforts related to the European health insurance card and is interested in occupational health and safety in the health sector (including the use of Information and Communication Technologies).
The Internal Market and Services DG (MARKT) handles legal and regulatory issues, as do DG ENTR and DG EMPL.
The Education and Culture DG (EAC) deals with the educational and cultural aspects of eHealth. This covers four main areas: standardised qualifications for eHealth services; a framework for greater legal certainty for eHealth product and service liability; improving information on the costs of eHealth services; and promoting eHealth with a view to reducing occupational accidents and illnesses.
The Regional Policy DG (REGIO) is helping to introduce eHealth technology in the EU’s regions, particularly the less developed ones. It also supports cross-border projects supporting large-scale deployment.
The Justice, Freedom and Security DG (JLS) covers security, electronic identity cards, and issues relating to protecting the data on electronic health records.
The Research DG (RTD) funds some eHealth projects, and collaboration between DG INFSO and DG RTD is expected to increase in this field in the coming years.

Last update by the Editor (ehealth(AT)cec.eu.int): 05/05/08